Chili (dairy-free, gluten-free, egg-free)

My husband loves chili but it isn’t one of my favorite dishes. I’ve experimented over the years with different chili recipes to please him and here’s the one we decided pleases both of us. I like to eat mine over some soba noodles and garnish it with avocadoes but he’d rather eat his the traditional way. Its a very easy recipe to make the way your family likes chili — swap out the meat, type of peppers, or even the type of beans, or even increase the spices.

Here’s what you’ll need:

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 tablespoons paprika
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon chipotle chili pepper
1 cup chopped onion
4 garlic cloves diced
1 pound ground turkey (or if you prefer, hamburger, ground chicken, ground pork, etc.)
1 can diced chili peppers (I used the mild but you can use whatever your family likes)*
1 tablespoon of fresh oregano
1/4 cup tomato paste (or 1 small can)
2 cups stock (chicken, turkey, or beef depending on what meat you use)
1 tablespoon vinegar
1 teaspoon pomegranate molasses
1 teaspoon sea salt
3 cinnamon sticks
1 (15 ounce) can pinto, or great northern, or kidney, or black beans, whichever you prefer
Bag of non-dairy grated cheese or for individual servings, slices
1 diced avocado

*I wanted to use poblano chilis but the can I saw had added sugar so I went with my old standby of mild chili peppers. Feel free to use fresh peppers and add the diced peppers with the onions and garlic.

In a large, deep skillet, or Dutch oven, heat oil over high heat. Add spices (cumin, paprika, and chili powder) to release the oils. Add onions and garlic and cook for a minute reducing heat to medium. Add the meat and brown. Pour in the stock and add the chili peppers, oregano, tomato paste, vinegar, molasses, salt and cinnamon sticks. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce heat. Simmer for 40-60 minutes stirring occasionally. Remove cinnamon sticks and discard. Stir in the drained beans and simmer for 5 minutes. Serve topped with cheese and the diced avocado.

Apple Blueberry Muffins (dairy-free, gluten-free, egg-free, soy-free, vegan)

Blueberry muffins are a summer family tradition in my family that I’ve had to forgo for many years now. I can remember in my youth, the whole family going to the Meader farm to pick blueberries after supper and then we’d go to the lake for a swim to cool off. The next day, along with freezing most of the berries, my mother would make blueberry muffins to go with a cold salad (like the salmon salad on this blog) for supper that night. It would probably also be accompanied by some sliced tomatoes. This is a simple, quick recipe that makes light and moist muffins. The tapioca flour gives the outside a nice crunch.

Preheat oven to 375 degree and grease 6 large or 12 small muffin tins.

In a large bowl combine:

1 3/4 cups brown rice flour
1/4 cup tapioca flour
1 teaspoon stevia
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup non-dairy milk of choice, unflavored
1 cup of chunky applesauce, unsweetened (or pear sauce to make pear & blueberry muffins)
1 cup fresh blueberries dredged in 2 tablespoons brown rice flour
1 tablespoon rice vinegar

Mix until all the ingredients are well combined; gluten-free baked goods often need a little more mixing than their gluten counterparts. The mixture should bubble up while you’re mixing it when the vinegar hits the baking soda. If its too thick (should be the consistency of mashed potatoes), add a little more milk by tablespoons.

Spoon into the greased muffin tins making sure all the muffins have equal amounts of batter. Bake for 20-25 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Best enjoyed warm.

Sweet Potato and Tahini Soup (dairy-free, gluten-free, vegan)

I made this with sweet potato but pumpkin or pureed butternut squash would work just as well. The original recipe also called for 1/4 cup of chopped cilantro but since I really don’t like that herb, I used diced scallions and pomegranate arils instead. The spice in the recipe is also to taste; I love garum masala but if you don’t, try some ground ginger or grated fresh ginger instead. The tahini gives this soup a very creamy texture. Makes 4 servings.

Heat a 2-quart saucepan and add:

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 diced small scallion
1 diced garlic clove

Cook for only a minute over medium heat and then add:

2 cups cooked sweet potato
2 cups vegetable stock (you can also use chicken stock if you prefer)
1/4 teaspoon stevia OR 1 tablespoon agave or coconut nectar
1 teaspoon garum masala OR 1 teaspoon grated or ground ginger
Crushed red pepper to taste (1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon)

Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally and reduce heat to low. Stir in:

1/4 cup tahini (you could also use a nut butter)
2 tablespoons rice vinegar

Puree in blender or with immersion blender. Garnish with diced scallion and pomegranate arils.

Decadent Carob Cake (dairy-free, gluten-free, egg-free, sugar-free, vegan)

This cake is so moist and fudgy that it doesn’t need any frosting. That doesn’t mean that you can’t put some strawberry cream cheese frosting on it if you want, or even serve it with some non-dairy whipped cream or “ice cream”. I simply serve mine with some of my strawberry jam or some fresh raspberries. So satisfying for those with a sweet tooth.

Grease and flour a tube or bundt pan. In a medium size bowl mix:

2 cups brown rice flour
1/2 cup tapioca flour
3/4 cup carob powder (if you want, you can use cocoa)
1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum
1/2 teaspoon sea salt

In a second bowl mix:

1 cup pureed stewed prunes
1/2 cup apple or pear sauce
1 tablespoon stevia, 1/2 cup agave or coconut nectar, or 1/2 cup maple syrup (if you add the liquids, be sure to reduce the club soda by an equivalent amount)
2 tablespoons vinegar
1 tablespoon vanilla
2 cups club soda

Mix the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Be sure to mix thoroughly and then keep mixing for several more minutes (gluten-free flour needs more mixing than regular wheat flour). Pour into the prepared pan and bake in a 375 degree oven for 45-60 minutes depending on the size of your pan and your oven. Its done when a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean. Cool in the pan for at least 10 minutes before turning out onto a cooling rack and then onto a serving plate.

You could also add some chopped dates, hemp hulls, coconut, or if you can eat them, even some chopped walnuts.

Dry Rub

This is a rub that can be used on any kind of meat although, my love of pork ribs pretty much uses up all my rub. Easy to apply, simply put 10-12 chicken wings, or 4-5 chicken legs, or a half rack of ribs, or some pork chops, or even a couple of steaks, in a zip bag with a couple of tablespoons of this rub and shake. Once the meat is coated, be sure to massage it (or rub) it in so that the meat absorbs the dry rub.

I use a pint jar to mix this in:

1/2 cup paprika
2 tablespoons black pepper
2 tablespoons sea salt
1-2 teaspoons stevia, 1/2 teaspoon monk fruit powder, or 1/2 cup date sugar
4 tablespoons herb mixture such as Mrs. Dash, McCormicks, or something like Grill Mates
2 tablespoons garlic powder
2 tablespoons onion powder
1/4 cup carob powder or cocoa

Cover and shake the jar vigorously in all directions to mix the ingredients. This will stay fresh in the air tight jar for several months.

Chocolate Figgy Hemp Cream (dairy-free, gluten-free, egg-free, sugar-free, vegan)

This is a very easy recipe to make if you have a blender or Vitamix. And it turns out not only delicious but silky smooth and creamy. Also, its adaptable to several other types of desserts — chocolate cream pie, fudgesicles (if you have a mold or even ice cube tray with wooden sticks), or pudding.

Put in your blender:

1 ripe avocado (or 1/4 cup avocado oil – the oil has less avocado flavor so doesn’t add any taste to the dessert)
1 cup of mashed figs*
1/2 cup chopped dates (or 4 whole medjool dates)**
1/4 cup cocoa powder or carob powder
2 large scoops of protein powder
2 cups hemp milk***
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Blend until smooth. At this point, you can divide the mixture into pudding cups, fill ice cube trays, or place it in an ice cream freezer. If you make ice cream with it, I suggest that when its ready, put the ice cream into small containers since if you freeze it in a larger container, like I did, you’ll have a very solid block of hemp cream that needs to be thawed before you can use it. If you’re making a chocolate cream pie, pre-bake a ready made gluten-free crust and cool it before you add the pudding to the pie crust.

*You could also use 4 ripe figs, or 1 cup of stewed prunes.

**Whole Foods carries chopped dates with oat flour.

*** Coconut milk or soy milk will also work in this recipe.

Cauliflower and Sweet Potato Patties

I love sweet potatoes any way I can get them. For a long time, I was content with just baking them and serving them with margarine and cinnamon or dicing and steaming them and then whipping them with margarine and spices. This recipe goes a step further producing a silky, smooth interior with a crunchy fried exterior. So yummy and so easy to do. The hardest part is probably putting enough oil in the pan so that the patties don’t touch the bottom of the pan and burn. Sweet potato will burn very quickly so be sure to add at least a half inch of olive oil to your pan and get it good and hot before you add the patties. Fry over medium heat once the oil gets hot.

Mix:

1 cup mashed cauliflower (I love the purple variety but any will do; 1 small cauliflower will make right around 1 cup of mash)
3/4 cup of baked sweet potato (one medium sweet potato will yield just about 3/4 cup)
4 tablespoons of sweet potato flour (or all purpose gluten free flour)
1 tablespoon of ground flax seed (or you could use a mixture of flax, chia and hemp seeds ground)
1/4 teaspoon of spice (I used cinnamon but allspice, ground cloves, ground ginger or nutmeg will work as well depending on your taste)
Salt and ground pepper to taste (I used 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper)

With a hand mixer on low speed, mix the cauliflower and sweet potato until well blended and the cauliflower is broken down. Add the remaining ingredients and mix well. Heat the oil (I used my 12 inch fry pan and cooked all 4 patties at once) and oil your hands. Make four patties using your hands (each should be about 1/2 cup of mixture and you may need to put a little more oil on your hands after the second patty).

Fry on each side for about 2-3 minutes until golden brown. Remove to paper towels to remove any excess oil and then transfer to plates. These are very soft, not firm like meat patties so treat them with care.

TIP: These would also be great with a little maple syrup over the top.

Carrot Cake (dairy, gluten, egg, and refined sugar free)

My husband’s favorite cake is carrot cake, so moist and flavorful. One of my favorites as well since it has so little sweetener because of the sweetness of the carrots. This recipe allows you to add some granulated fructose, stevia, or chopped dates in place of the sugar.

Preheat oven to 350 degree. Lightly grease a large 12-cup bundt pan.

In a large bowl, combine:

2 cups finely grated carrots (one 12 ounce bag of baby carrots)
1/4 cup fructose or chopped dates (or 2 teaspoons of stevia)
4 teaspoons of baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon xantham gum
1 tablespoon vinegar
1/4 cup oil or 1/4 cup applesauce (or pear sauce)

Mix well to combine. Add:

1 3/4 cups Bobs 1 for 1 gluten-free flour
1/2 cup Bobs Sweet Sorghum flour
1/4 cup potato flour
1/4 cup coconut flakes (optional)
1/4 cup raisins, cranberries, currents, etc. (optional)
1/4 cup ground walnuts, sunflower or pumpkin seeds, hemp hulls, etc. (optional)

Mix while adding 1 1/2 cup club soda. If the batter is too thick, add more club soda until batter is the consistency of thick mashed potatoes.

Bake 60-75 minutes depending on how hot your oven runs. Cool on a rack for 10-15 minutes before turning out of the pan. Cool completely before frosting.

Frost with plain cream cheese frosting:

1 8-ounce package of non-dairy cream cheese
1-3 tablespoons of agave nectar, depending on how sweet your family likes frosting (you can also use honey or coconut nectar)
1 teaspoon vanilla

Mix using a hand mixer until smooth and creamy.

Easy Maple Walnut Cake (dairy-free, gluten-free, egg-free, refined sugar-free)

If your family likes a gooey, nutty, sweet dessert, but you don’t have a lot of time to make desserts and they’re hungry for a sweet right now, this one is a great one to try. My husband loved it with the sugar-free vanilla ice cream on top but I’m sure a non-dairy frozen dessert would work just as well. Very easy and quick to make. It took me less than ten minutes to get it in the oven. Should be served hot. Serves 4-6 depending on portion size. Doubles well if you need more servings.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Liberally grease a 5×8″ baking pan. If you don’t have a 5×8″ baking pan, you could make individual cakes in a muffin tin.

Heat in a small saucepan until it boils:

1/2 cup maple syrup (I used my husband’s Maple Grove Sugar-Free syrup)

Mix in a medium sized bowl:

1/2 cup all-purpose gluten-free flour (I used Bob’s Red Mill 1for1)
1/8 cup sweet sorghum flour
1/8 to 1/4 cup of sweetener such as granulated fructose (or you could use stevia but of course not as much, probably 1 tablespoon would be more than enough since this is just to add a little sweetness to the cake); or agave or coconut nectar but then decrease the amount of milk to adjust for the liquid sweetener.
1/2 teaspoon guar gum
1 tablespoon oil
1/2 cup non-dairy milk of choice

Mix well and then add:

1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon softened margarine of choice
1/4 cup non-dairy milk of choice or enough to make it the consistence of soft mashed potatoes

Mix well until margarine is well combined. Pour the hot syrup into the bottom of the baking dish and pour the mixture (or spoon if easier but be sure to cover as much of the syrup as possible). Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean. If you’re using the muffin pan, check them after 10 minutes.

Place on a cooling rack for 5-10 minutes; loosen the cake from the sides of the pan and then turn out onto a serving plate. Sprinkle the top liberally with chopped or ground walnuts. If you want it nut free, use hemp hulls, sunflower or pumpkin seeds instead of the walnuts. Serve with some non-dairy frozen dessert, whipped topping, or sugar-free ice cream.

Salmon with Bok Choy (dairy-free)

Want a quick meal that is very tasty? This one can be prepared and cooked in less than a half hour. Bok choy is one of my favorite vegetables and it pairs very well with a salmon filet. Here I’ve sautéed the bok choy with some red onion and garlic in a little olive oil and topped the salmon with an easy mustard sauce. The recipe serves two, or if you’re like me and love bok choy, this serves just me!

You’ll need:

4 small to medium bok choy, washed and chopped
1 small red onion, diced
1 clove garlic
2 tablespoon olive oil
2 salmon filets
1 tablespoon of your favorite mustard
1 tablespoon of your favorite vinegar
1/8 teaspoon stevia (or 2 tablespoons agave or honey, 1/8 teaspoon monk fruit powder, etc.)

Prepare 4 small to medium baby bok choy by cutting of the lower portion and rinsing thoroughly under cold water. The bok choy may still have some spots and that’s okay. Be sure to rinse the green portion as well as the white. Then slice from bottom to the leaves, you can use all of this vegetable.

Chop one small red onion (I like to half it, then slice it into medium slices, and finally cut each slice in half). Chop one clove of garlic.

Add 1 tablespoon olive oil to a hot 10-12 inch skillet. Add the prepared vegetables (bok choy, onion and garlic). Stir to mix thoroughly and then cover and cook over medium heat for approximately 7-10 minutes depending on how al dente you like them.

Meanwhile, heat a large grill pan or skillet; add a small amount of olive oil. Wash your salmon filets and dry them with a paper towel. You will notice that I prefer the thinner slices of the salmon, they cook faster and I find I don’t dry the fish out as much. Make some slices across the skin side and add, skin side down, to the hot pan. Reduce heat to medium. I like to cover the fish and cook for 5 minutes. I then remove the cover and turn over the fish to cook for another 2-3 minutes until pink inside.

While your salmon and bok choy are cooking, in a small container with a lid put 1 tablespoon of your favorite mustard and 1 tablespoon of your favorite vinegar. Add a very small amount of stevia (I used about 1/8 of a teaspoon). Put on the lid and shake until mixed. Sauce is ready.